Rusty returns for his sixth year in his second stint as the Royals' first base coach...worked for three seasons in the same role from 2008-10 and returned to the position on August 4, 2012...works with the Royals' outfielders and baserunners...Coached KC's outfield, which boasted four-time Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner Alex Gordon and two-time Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Lorenzo Cain...The Royals led the A.L. in stolen bases (153) in 2013 and 2014, while they finished second in 2015 with 104...In between stints as the team's first base coach, served as the club's special assistant to the general manager and the minor league outfield, bunting and baserunning coach from the end of the 2010 season until August 4, 2012... during that time, Kuntz facilitated the position change of Alex Gordon from third base to left field...Spent the 2003-07 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization...joined the Pirates as the first base coach at the Major League level for the 2003-05 seasons before working as a coach between the Pirates and Triple-A Indianapolis in 2006 and 2007...Kuntz also worked as a first base coach for the Florida Marlins (1995-96 and 1999-2000) and the Seattle Mariners (1989-92)...Spent the final two months of the 2002 season as a roving instructor with the Atlanta Braves...Joined the Florida organization in 1993 and worked as the club's minor league outfield/baserunning coordinator from 1993-94, 1997-98 and 2001...After ending his playing career, worked as the Houston Astros' minor league baserunning and outfield instructor from 1987-88.

Playing Career

Originally selected by the Chicago White Sox in the 11th round of the 1977 June Draft...Played seven seasons in the Majors with the White Sox (1979-83), Twins (1983) and Tigers (1984-85), hitting .236 with five home runs and 38 RBI in 277 games...Was a member of the 1984 World Series Champion Detroit Tigers, delivering the game-winning RBI in the fifth and deciding game of the World Series with a seventh-inning sacrifice fly.

Miscellaneous Notes

Rusty and his wife, Salli, have one son, Kevin, and reside in Stilwell, Kansas... Kevin was selected by the Royals in the 28th round of the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft and played for Lexington (Class A) in 2014, before being named to a position in the Royals' front office in 2016...Graduated from Paso Robles (Calif.) High and attended Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, Calif., and California State College (Stanislaus), where he was a member of Cal State's Division III World Series Championship teams in 1976 and 1977.